According to a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unionization rate fell in 2011, to 11.8%. The rate is down from 11.9% last year, though union membership in total rose by 49,000 workers. The slight decrease comes after attacks on collective bargaining and organized labor, as well as layoffs in the public sector. Unions represent 16.3 million workers, though only 14.76 million are members of unions. In the public sector, 37% of workers are represented by unions, a figure that falls to 6.9% in the private sector.
See "Union Membership Rate Fell Again in 2011", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, January 29, 2012